Diving alongside the wildlife and vastness of the ocean is an unbelievable experience as is. However, there is nothing like capturing those moments and memories created with the use of a DSLR camera and underwater housing.

Before one can capture any shot of their adventures underwater, one must become familiar with the equipment used. This article is meant to focus on the basic set-up of a DSLR (the example being a Nikon D200) camera and kit of the DX D200 underwater housing, which is utilized in the Ocean’s Campus Underwater Photography Internship in Mozambique. Below I will list 5 basic rules to follow before embarking on your voyage into the world of underwater photography.

1) KNOW YOUR GEAR.Begin by familiarizing yourself with your equipment; get to know your DSLR camera and its settings well enough on land before using it with your housing. Know what ports to use along with which lenses, and plan beforehand what you intend to photograph (for example, you don’t want to make the mistake of setting up a 105mm macro lens port with a wide angle lens.) Have your settings ready and know how to adjust your settings and where the controls are for basic camera functions. The lenses you can expect to use are the 105mm macro, 60mm macro, 20mm wide angle, and 16mm fisheye.

Underwater photography interns, Cullen and Tella, familiarizing themselves with the settings of a DSLR.

2) UNDERSTAND YOUR HOUSING.The housing discussed will be the DX D200 – constructed of corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy with a black finish. It is durable and designed to protect your camera, with easy access to the controls. The camera installation is fairly simple, with port locks on each side to secure your camera and has a shutter able to provide feedback when pressed halfway tripping the shutter. The viewfinder have a 0.66x magnification and there is a base plate, which contains a cog to control the M/S/C focus modes, which attaches to the camera tripod mount located within the housing. Know how your housing pieces together, keep the o-rings greased, and know where the latches controls and buttons are located – buttons such as the power switch, shutter, main command dial, ISO settings, the exposure compensation button, etc.

Complete set up of a DX D200 housing with strobes attached (above). O-ring and grease and disassembled housing (below).

3) ACCESSORIZE APPROPRIATELY.There are 2 types of ports you will be using for the DX D200—one of which is adjustable for use between a macro 60mm and a macro 105mm. The other port is for wide angle and fisheye lenses. Both are easily removable and fitted to the housing. Pay attention to which lenses you intend to use to match them up with the proper ports. For wide-angle surface shots, you will only need the camera, a wide angle lens and a wide angle port. However, when shooting macro deeper below the surface you will need strobes.

Various ports.

Strobe arm.

4) ILLUMINATE YOUR SUBJECTS.You do this by using strobes. You will be using YS 90 Sea & Sea Strobes - these are important to illuminate your subject and bring back colors that are lost with depth in diving (such as the color red). Also, strobes help bring out clarity and make your subject sharp. Re-attachable diffusers also come with these strobes and they attach to the camera housing using strobe arm connectors. Strobe arm connectors are adjustable and reach out about a foot from the camera. Most underwater photographers use two strobes, although it is also possible to use just one. Sync cables are used to connect the strobes with the camera housing - without them your strobes will only be able to fire manually. These sync cables connect the auto trigger with the strobes you are using.

YS-90 Strobes.

Sync cable.

5) CLEAN, MAINTAIN, REPEAT.Maintenance and cleaning is KEY. It is important to check and clean your equipment before and after every dive to avoid unnecessary corrosion resulting from the saltwater, as well as to keep your equipment in consistent working condition. When first setting up your camera and housing, you want to be in a dust and sand free zone, with your set up station as clean as possible (just a grain of sand can be the difference between having a flood or a leak into the camera housing.) Use a towel to avoid accidental scratching of your ports and lenses, and also as a cushion while setting up.

Interns in the process of cleaning and setting up their camera housings.

Preparation and planning is the key to get that once in a lifetime cover shot. Make sure that you do not leave the ocean disappointed after an exciting SCUBA dive and photo session by always following these 5 rules before heading out into the deep.

I've realized that every time I travel to an unfamiliar location, my perspective of the world warps and changes.

Africa, the Underwater Photography Internship led by Fiona Ayerst with the help of Shalini Tewari and Martin Totland, all of the people I've encountered on this internship, and just scuba diving in general has changed every previous plan I had lined up in my life. I soon began to realize that scuba diving isn't just a sport-- it's a lifestyle.

Arriving at Mozambique's Guinjata Dive Centre, shortly after obtaining my Open Water certification back in Michigan, I was immediately amazed at how connected I felt with nature and it's beings. I forgot how wonderful the ocean breeze felt, the soothing rise of the sand between your toes, and the sound of the waves forming a familiar lullaby when lying down to sleep at night. The exhilarating feeling is a wonder all on its own when it comes to being in close proximity with other wild beings in the water (from Whales, Bottlenose Dolphins, Sharks, Manta Rays to the smallest of Eels, Crabs, Shrimps and Seahorses.)

An example of such an encounter, with photo credit to James (Matt) Dobson, for capturing the very fortunate event of encountering a Humpback Whale while on our safety stop. The songs of these beings are so peaceful and beautiful, and can sometimes be so loud that you feel yourself shake with their bellows.

There are also so many things I realized that I just did not need, here in Mozambique and in life. Shoes and socks are unnecessary items and are a rarity when living on the beach. The same clothes from yesterday are acceptable to be worn days in a row and when the washer is out of commission (also to save on money), laundry is done by hand ourselves.Being away from familiar comforts also makes one appreciate the little things—such as hot showers, water, electricity and internet. There have been times where the power just did not work, the water did not run and the propane/gas was out (to give us hot water.)

Each night we must sleep under the protection of mosquito netting, since Malaria is a present concern here and can become a serious health hazard if left untreated. Other possible concerns would be snakes, such as Black Mambas and even a Python (which was spotted prior to our groups arrival in July)—however, all of us have been lucky enough not to encounter either!

Just living here in Mozambique for a month, diving, watching the sun rise and set every day has changed my whole life's course-- and I am beyond ecstatic about that. Every morning I feel so motivated to be in the ocean, observing its creatures and feeling the power of its currents and surges. Every day I feel like I’m learning and discovering new things that I never knew existed before-- even riding out to our dive spot of the day right before a dive has become such a freeing feeling. I was told that scuba diving would be a transformational experience and it truly has been.

From here on out I feel like I can only move forward-- which has led me to initiate my Dive Masters training and to the beginning of my continuous life journey in scuba diving.